The Montreal Canadiens Are A Brotherhood

Culture and high-compete have become synonymous with the Montreal Canadiens. 

But likewise, or even more so has the band of brothers that formed between the 23 skaters. Nobody gets left behind and liberties aren’t allowed to be taken against the club without consequences. There have been tougher versions of the Canadiens, but the heart of the team can’t be questioned. 

From the top to the bottom of the lineup, the players' memory doesn’t fade. If a teammate is pushed around or bothered to throw them off their game, it won’t go unnoticed. Michael Pezzetta, Jonathan Kovacevic, and Arber Xhekaj are the usual suspects.

But that doesn’t mean others aren’t willing to run through a wall in defence of their brothers. Kaiden Guhle, while doing so in a questionable way, came to the aid of Juraj Slafkovsky during a recent matchup between the Habs and Philadelphia Flyers. Travis Konecny had gotten in Slfkovsky’s grille, and Guhle, from the bench, was having none of it. 

Guhle speared Konecny from the bench, resulting in a one-game suspension. 

Unquestionably, Martin St. Louis didn’t love the decision. But the intention wasn’t to injure or stir up tension. It was merely to caution Konecny to stay away from Slafkovsky. 

It was to send a message, and it certainly did that; although we won’t know what response will come from it, that is until the next time the two foes face off again. Konecny is essentially the Flyers' version of Brendan Gallagher, in lesser words, he is a pest. He didn’t bother Slafkovsky enough to warrant a reaction, but he did bait Guhle. 

Regardless of that, however, Guhle’s reaction proved that the Habs won’t be pushed around. Needless to say; a one-game suspension that cemented that narrative, is not such a horrible punishment to pay. If it means that the opposition won’t challenge the Habs or will be discouraged to, then it was worthwhile.

It’s been all about growth, and the bond between the players has done just that. The team may not be getting the results that they hope for yet, and next year expectations will only increase. But a positive sign is the fact that the team never quits and when the opposition tries to assert themselves physically, the Canadiens aren't intimidated or easily pushed around.

All the pieces are falling into place, slowly but surely, Rome wasn't built in one day, right? So it will take a bit of time, but there are started to be more positives than negatives, which is a tell-tale sign that things are moving in the right direction.

You never want to see one of your best players sit out a game with a suspension, but standing up for your bandmates is a sign that the team is growing together toward their quest for one common goal.